Cold Norton Pre-school

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement There is a breach of requirements that means the leadership and management of the provision requires improvement.

However, the impact of this weakness on children is minimal. Children are very warmly welcomed into the setting by caring and thoughtful staff. There is a secure key-person system in place and staff get to know children and their families very well.

This helps staff to settle children quickly into the setting. Children are confident to communicate with staff freely and staff sensitively reassure and comfort children. Staff set up the hall each morning to engage and stimulate children's learning.

Child...ren eagerly participate in both group and individual activities. Staff help them to share and take turns and children remind each other of the rules of the setting. All children make good progress with their learning.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included in the setting and staff undertake extra training to care for their needs. Staff carry out personal care hygienically and responsively. They support children to develop their independence skills, so that they can wash their own hands and dress themselves.

All children get involved in tidying up and enjoy receiving special stickers. Staff organise snack time, so that children can independently choose from a range of healthy food and drinks. The setting has developed robust procedures to keep children safe in the hall and when using the park outside.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff keep children safe and secure in the setting. They work with other hall users to ensure that doors are locked. They take action to ensure that information about children is kept confidential.

However, trustees do not meet their regulatory obligation to share information with Ofsted in a timely manner. This delays the checks that Ofsted carries out to ensure trustees are suitable for their role. This has minimal impact on children's safety as leaders have appropriate procedures in place to safeguard children.

Children enjoy participating in a range of activities that help them develop their physical skills. Outside in the park, they run and climb on large equipment to develop their large motor skills. Children use tools while playing with dough and enjoy manipulating smaller construction pieces to develop fine motor skills.

Staff support the development of children's communication and language effectively, Staff speak clearly and develop children's vocabulary. Staff sing songs and read books with children. They support children to listen at circle time and lunchtime is used as a social time for children to talk with each other.

Staff help children to recognise their names and provide a variety of mark-making resources to support early literacy.There is a strong focus on supporting children's understanding of the world around them. Staff thoughtfully plan interesting experiments that children enthusiastically engage with.

Children learn how germs spread illness and how soap is used to kill germs.Staff carry out assessments of children's learning and development and develop focused next steps for individual children. Staff use opportunities to enhance children's learning.

They talk about road safety in the construction area and support children to compare and measure tall towers. However, children do not always have access to appropriate resources or opportunities to develop their mathematical understanding.Parents speak very highly of this setting.

They are happy with staff's warmth and care towards their children. They appreciate the range of activities that their children participate in. Staff effectively communicate with parents.

Parents comment on the advice that staff have given them and how this has supported their children's health and development.Staff have developed positive working relationships with the school to support children with their transition. Before children start school, staff provide tailored provision, so that they are ready for the next part of their education.

Staff have also developed strong links in the community. Children enjoy participating in activities with different community groups.Staff are well supported by leaders in the setting and feel that they are valued members of the team.

Leaders support staff through regular meetings. However, targets for staff development are not always personalised or precise enough for staff to identify the knowledge and skills they need to develop their practice further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date provide Ofsted with the necessary information, so that suitability checks can be carried out on the trustees of the setting.30/04/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove the provision for mathematics across the setting develop the use of supervisions, so that staff receive specific support to further develop their practice.